Social Wit List: April 2016

NEW YORK: According to The WIT, Beyonce’s Lemonade special on HBO generated the most buzz on social media of all the new programs to launch globally last month, generating some 205,000 tweets.

Beyonce’s surprise world premiere event, a promotional one-hour film in the form of an extended music video mixing visual imagery and new material, was followed immediately by the release of her new album on Tidal. Across Twitter and Facebook, the broadcast had people talking about the #CoupleGossip surrounding infidelity rumors, and many comments were about it being #Inspiring and #JawDropping.

Number two on the top 10 list of buzz-generating programs was HBO’s Confirmation. The TV movie starring Kerry Washington looks back at the sexual harassment allegations made by law professor Anita Hill against Supreme Court candidate Clarence Thomas in 1991. Around 70,000 tweets were sent about the #Gripping broadcast and its #GreatActing that portrayed #DirtyPolitics.

From Italy’s Rai1, Laura&Paola stirred up some 55,000 tweets. It is a variety show combining music and stand-up, hosted by singer Laura Pausini and comedian Paola Cortellesi, featuring numerous celebrity guests. The #DividingFormat had some on social media talking about its #BelovedStars and its #GoodOldEntertainment, while others thought it was #Outdated.

Top Dance, which debuted on Antena 3 in Spain, is a new local version of the DRG dance talent format Floor Filler that was adapted on Cuatro from 2008 to 2010. (The new version was canceled after four episodes.) The premiere delivered around 55,000 social media comments, with many complaining about the #LameJudges or saying that it was #Disappointing and that they wanted to #BringtheOldOneBack.

Coming in at number five, L’hebdo Show avec Arthur on France’s TF1 sees comedians and TV and radio personalities take part in games, quizzes, vox pops and parodies. A device allows 24 viewers throughout France to interact with the studio directly from their homes. An #AudienceDivided sent around 53,000 tweets about the show, as some found it #Entertaining and others thought the #CopyCat show was #NotReallyFresh.

Quiero ser monja on Cuatro in Spain had around 50,000 comments in social media surrounding its debut. The reality series adapted from the U.S. format The Sisterhood (Lifetime) follows five young women in a Catholic convent where they live and work together before making the life-changing decision to take their vows. The #PolarizingTopic had some in social media commenting that the women were #Opportunistic, while others found it #Insightful and #Fascinating.

Number seven, Camille Combal dans la rue, aired on D8 in France and generated some 42,000 tweets. The new special prime-time episode spun off from the entertainment series Touche pas à mon poste features popular panelist Camille taking to the streets to perform offbeat interviews and pranks. There were many #LOLTweets and much chatter from the #TeenFanBase about the #Entertaining broadcast.

Around 37,000 Facebook and Twitter comments were made surrounding Die grosse ProSieben Völkerball-Meisterschaft on ProSieben in Germany. It is an entertainment special in which actors, TV hosts, sportsmen and singers are divided into eight teams and go head to head in a dodgeball tournament in a big indoor stadium. Many in social media thought it was #NotFun or #NotExciting or took issue with the #UnknownCelebs.

The Kapil Sharma Show debuted on SET in India, with around 34,000 comments on social media about the premiere. The Kapil Sharma Show is a stand-up comedy/talk show in which Kapil Sharma and his team perform live in Delhi. Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) was the first guest. Commenters on social media were giving it the #ThumbsUp because of the #AwesomeComedians and #MesmerizingSRK who were making them #LOL.

Liberdade, Liberdade on Brazil’s TV Globo caps off the list at number ten. The period drama charts 18th century historic events told from the perspective of Joaquina, daughter of the famous political activist Tiradentes. There were around 31,000 tweets about the debut, which many thought was #Cinematic, #FastPaced, #Steamy and an #AccurateHistory portrayal.

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